Candace Parker became the third player in WNBA history to record multiple career triple-doubles and the Chicago Sky displayed their championship DNA in an 82-73 road victory at the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon.
Parker, the two-time league MVP, posted 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. She led six Sky players in double-figure scoring.
Forward Kahleah Copper made her first appearance of the 2022 season for Chicago (3-2), scoring 12. Copper won the WNBA Finals MVP a season ago.
Allie Quigley added 12 points and former Mystics big Emma Meesseman scored 11 for Chicago. Azura Stevens had 13 points off the bench and fellow reserve Rebekah Gardner added 11.
Elena Delle Donne returned from a brief absence for the Mystics (5-2) and scored 17 points, shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Ariel Atkins scored a game-high 20 points.
Washington rookie Shakira Austin continued to show improvement in her young career, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds.
The Mystics led for the majority of the first half and took a 42-38 lead into the break. But the Sky controlled the second half from start to finish, outscoring Washington 44-31 in the final 20 minutes of play.
Washington knocked down nine shots from deep, but inconsistency inside the arc led to its second defeat of the season. While the Mystics shot 37.5 percent from the field, the Sky shot 54 percent.
Rebounding became another major difference between the two teams. Chicago out-rebounded the Mystics 37-29.
After three straight games on the road, the Sky now head back to the friendly confines of Wintrust Arena to take on the Indiana Fever (2-6) on Tuesday.
The Mystics will remain in the nation’s capital, playing the Atlanta Dream (4-2) on Tuesday. The Mystics defeated the Dream 78-73 on Friday.
–Field Level Media